English Verb Conjugation

Having trouble viewing this message? [Click here to view it online.]( To unsubscribe or change contact details, scroll to the bottom and follow the link. [GrammarBook.com]( Your #1 Source for Grammar and Punctuation English Verb Conjugation A verb conjugation in English is a list of all of a verb’s forms in written and spoken expression. Those forms represent a verb’s person, tense, number, voice, and mood. To illustrate verb conjugation, we will focus on the verb to touch, which is the [infinitive]( of the verb. The principle parts of to touch are touch and touched. English Verb Conjugation: Person and Number Person concerns the performer or performers of an action. It has three categories (first, second, and third person) and two numbers (singular or plural). The singular and plural forms of the three persons make six total persons. first person singular I first person plural we second person singular you second person plural you third person singular he, she, it third person plural they English Verb Conjugation: Tense Tense identifies the timing of the verb person’s action: in the past, the present, or the future. For this discussion, we will focus on the simple verb tenses. Simple Present Tense first person singular I touch first person plural we touch second person singular you touch second person plural you touch third person singular he, she, it touches third person plural they touch Simple Past Tense first person singular I touched first person plural we touched second person singular you touched second person plural you touched third person singular he, she, it touched third person plural they touched Simple Future Tense first person singular I will touch first person plural we will touch second person singular you will touch second person plural you will touch third person singular he, she, it will touch third person plural they will touch Regular verbs in English maintain a consistent pattern to communicate tense, as we can see in conjugation of the verb to dance: Present Tense first person singular I dance first person plural we dance second person singular you dance second person plural you dance third person singular he, she, it dances third person plural they dance Past Tense first person singular I danced first person plural we danced second person singular you danced second person plural you danced third person singular he, she, it danced third person plural they danced Future Tense first person singular I will dance first person plural we will dance second person singular you will dance second person plural you will dance third person singular he, she, it will dance third person plural they will dance (For a closer look at how irregular verbs are treated in English, review our discussion [Staying Regular with Irregular Verbs]( English Verb Conjugation: Voice Voice in English verb conjugation establishes whether an action is [active or passive](. In the active voice, the subject performs the verb. In the passive voice, either the subject is unstated or unknown or the object of an action becomes the focus. The passive voice is formed with the proper form of to be and the [past participle]( of the verb. Example active voice: I touched the statue. (Subject performs the action.) Example passive voice: The statue was touched. (Subject is unstated or unknown.) Example passive voice: The statue was touched by me. (Object is the focus.) So far, all of our conjugation of to touch has been in the active voice. Here is the passive conjugation of to touch by person, number, and tense. Present Tense first person singular I am touched first person plural we are touched second person singular you are touched second person plural you are touched third person singular he, she, it is touched third person plural they are touched Past Tense first person singular I was touched first person plural we were touched second person singular you were touched second person plural you were touched third person singular he, she, it was touched third person plural they were touched Future Tense first person singular I will be touched first person plural we will be touched second person singular you will be touched second person plural you will be touched third person singular he, she, it will be touched third person plural they will be touched English Verb Conjugation: Mood The mood of an English verb reflects the speaker's manner or attitude in what is being expressed. In verb conjugation, the main moods are the indicative, the subjunctive, and the imperative. The indicative mood represents statements of fact and information delivery: I touched the statue. We are simply telling someone what we did. The imperative mood signals a direct request or a command to a particular person: Touch the statue. We are not stating a fact or sharing information but rather issuing a directive to someone. The imperative mood often includes an understood but omitted "you" as the subject: (You) touch the statue. We use the [subjunctive mood]( to convey a wish, demand, suggestion, or recommendation. We also use it for something that is contrary to fact or otherwise impossible. The subjunctive mood prompts an alteration of proper verb conjugation. Compare the following sentences. He touches the statue. I demand that he touch the statue. The first sentence states a fact, making it indicative with standard conjugation of the third-person present tense. In the second sentence, the subject is making a strong request, implicating that the subjunctive mood will follow. This is reflected by changing the third-person singular present from he touches to he touch. Related Topic [Clarifying the Conditional Tense]( [Staying Regular with Irregular Verbs]( [Present Perfect Tense]( [View and comment on this article on our website.]( [Click here to watch our new video on Semicolons]( Pop Quiz Correctly conjugate the enclosed infinitive verb in each sentence. 1. (To put) down that turkey sandwich! 2. Joann has requested that Thomas (to put) down that turkey sandwich. 3. This year the children’s performance-company schedule will (to include) highlights from The Nutcracker. 4. The Salinases have already (to start) decorating their home for Thanksgiving. 5. The statue was (to touch) by the public at least a thousand times today. The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation by Lester Kaufman and Jane Straus The Authority on English Grammar! 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[Purchase yours here.]( If you think you have found an error in a quiz, please email us at help@grammarbook.com Wordplay # --------------------------------------------------------------- Pop Quiz Answers 1. Put down that turkey sandwich! 2. Joann has requested that Thomas put down that turkey sandwich. 3. This year the children’s performance-company schedule will include highlights from The Nutcracker. 4. The Salinases have already started decorating their home for Thanksgiving. 5. The statue was touched by the public at least a thousand times today. English In A Snap: 68 One-Minute English Usage Videos FREE Learn all about who and whom, affect and effect, subjects and verbs, adjectives and adverbs, commas, semicolons, quotation marks, and much more by just sitting back and enjoying these easy-to-follow lessons. Share them with your colleagues (and boss), children, teachers, and friends as well! [Click here to watch](. Forward this e-newsletter to your friends and colleagues. 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